The present invention relates to securing and protecting lighting elements within reflective light housings. More particularly, the present invention is used in television and motion picture lighting applications wherein a foam body is inserted into parabolic reflectors to envelope and support the fragile globes and thereby protect the globes within the parabolic reflectors when the light is not in use.
The filming of motion pictures or television shows requires a constant light source with no flickering. Specially designed lighting elements or globes capable of producing such light are very expensive and highly specialized. Each globe may cost thousands of dollars, and some globes have been known to operate at temperatures as high as 600-800° C. (about 1100-1500° F.) (see Malek et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,835, the substance of which is incorporated herein by reference). Although such globes provide the desired non-flickering light source, such globes are delicate and easily subject to damage. While the globe and supporting light housing are stationary, the risk of damage is less, however, when the movement of the light is required, which may be often in on location shoots, the risk of damage is greatly increased. The delicate nature and high cost of the globes makes their transportation a very man hour intensive and time consuming process.
For the transport of the lighting apparatus that is use with the aforementioned globes, the globes must be removed from their housing, and placed in a safe container to ensure they will not break. If left inside the supporting housing, the globe may crack, due to forces associated with transportation which will permanently damage the globe. Removing the globe from the housing is a delicate procedure that usually requires two specially trained lighting technicians. However, before the globe can be removed, it must be allowed to cool to a reasonable temperature so as to allow the lighting technicians to touch the globe. After the globe has cooled, it is carefully removed from the light housing and placed in a storage device to protect it during transportation. Once the globe arrives at the off-set location, and the light housing has been set up, the light technicians carefully remove the globes from the safe container, and install them into the housing.
As can be appreciated movement of such lights is very tedious, time consuming and expensive. Additionally, the removal procedure also contributes to globes breakage requiring expensive replacement, despite the extra care and protection. Therefore, a device that would protect the globe within the housing so as to allow transportation of the globe without removal from the light housing would be desirable.